Best Linux Distro?

[tork_unib]

Any pro Linux'ers know where I can get info on trying out Linux while keeping WinXP running? Possibly on a USB pen drive or external HD?

 

If you want to play about with a Linux installation while having Windows running, IMHO your best bet would be to look at some form of virtualization. As i mentioned above, I've used MS Virtual PC 2007 SP1 to install Ubuntu 8.10 (the link below incidentally was extremely useful to me when it came to configuring settings for the graphics card, and 3-button mouse.)

 

http://arcanecode.wordpress.com/2008/04/24...irtual-pc-2007/

 

Some of the nice features of using a VM include being able to quickly and easily make a backup of your VM prior to making any experimental changes, just by copying the configuration files and virtual hard disks. This feature has saved me literally days of lost time, by being able to just overwrite my fubar'd VM with a working backup.

 

Also it's nice being able to use your existing OS in tandem for the purposes of trying to figure out what is wrong

 

Of course MS Virtual PC is not the only choice, Virtualbox, and VMware are two other that do the same (and probably better).

[Marr]

Of course MS Virtual PC is not the only choice, Virtualbox, and VMware are two other that do the same (and probably better).

 

there is no real choice, vmware is most advanced solution. and running a windows OS as host system is simply perverse.

[tork_unib]

Of course MS Virtual PC is not the only choice, Virtualbox, and VMware are two other that do the same (and probably better).

 

there is no real choice, vmware is most advanced solution. and running a windows OS as host system is simply perverse.

 

Yeah you're probably right, but it's the only configuration that I've used, and for my purposes it works quite well.

 

 

*edit*

...on reflection tho, it does explain the vaguely dirty feeling i get while doing it!

Edited February 17, 2009 by tork_unib

[Burfoot]

Just do a dual boot with a linux distro - soon you will forget you have windos on your hd...

klikit it a nice very easy distro too http://www.klikit-linux.com/ ubuntu kde based.

[agis29]

Best linux distribution? It depends from your needs and your taste.

For advanced users that need full control of their system and something really fast the best distros in my opinion are Arch, Gentoo, Debian and in some cases Slackware.

Another good distro for both advanced and newbies is Sabayon. At the end of installation you will have a fully working 3d Desktop with compiz enabled

and all multimedia codecs installed by default. Sabayon has also the best artwork i ever saw in the Linux world and the installation of the system is as easy as Ubuntu.

If you are experienced you can use portage and turn Sabayon into a pure Gentoo. If you are a newbie or you too lazy to compile everything from source you can

use equo and Spritz. It's something like apt-get.